Comparison of Manufactured Acidifier Based Citric Acid with Commercial Sample in Drinking Water on Performance, Serum Biochemical Parameters, PH and Intestinal Morphology of Broiler Chickens

Antibiotics reduce the microbial population of the gastrointestinal tract, increase the available nutrients, and improve the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and body weight gain (BWG) of broilers. Due to the persistence of antibiotics in manufactured products and their transmission to humans, and the emergence of resistance, their use has been banned in many countries. Therefore, the use of antibiotic alternatives in the livestock and poultry industry has been considered, including organic acids. Organic acids modulate the intestinal microbial and improve animal performance by destroying harmful bacteria and providing nutritional conditions for beneficial bacteria. This study was performed to compare the effects of citric acid-based acidifiers with the commercial samples in drinking water on performance, serum biochemical parameters, pH, and intestinal morphology of broilers.

In this experiment, 400 one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were allotted to 5 treatments with 4 replicates in a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments included control treatment receiving drinking water without an acidifier and groups receiving drinking water with 0.025, 0.05, and 0.075% of produced acidifier and 0.2% of commercial acidifier.

The results indicated that feed intake (FI) and FCR decreased during the growth period by adding 0.05% of produced acidifier to drinking water compared to the control group (p<0.05). The BWG of broiler chickens increased at the level of 0.075% of the produced acidifier at the stater period and in the groups treated with the commercial sample in the total period compared to the control group (p<0.05). A numerically and significantly decrease in serum triglyceride was observed at treatments containing 0.05 and levels of 0.025 and 0.075% acidifiers respectively. The serum HDL was increased at treatments containing commercial acidifier than the control group (p<0.05). Groups receiving acidifiers had lower serum alkaline phosphatase compared to the control group (p<0.05). A decrease in the pH of the duodenum and jejunum in 42 days, as well as a decrease in the crypt depth and an increase in the villus height were observed in treatments containing 0.2 and 0.05% of commercial and produced acidifiers respectively (p<0.05).

According to the results, the level of 0.05% of produced acidifier in drinking water is recommended to improve the performance, intestinal morphology, and reduce the pH of the gastrointestinal tract in broilers.